Chinese golf sensation Guan Tianlang invited to PGA Tour event

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Youngest athletes in sports – Lucy Li, seen here in April, is now the youngest ever to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open. The 11-year-old Californian will compete in the major tournament in June.

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Youngest athletes – China's Guan Tianlang is the youngest competitor -- at age 14 years and 5 months -- in the 80 years of the Masters, beating the previous record held by then 16-year-old Matteo Manassero.

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Youngest athletes – In 1865, Britain's "Young" Tom Morris set the threshold for youngest player in a major by entering the British Open at 14 years and 4 months. Three years later, the teenager won that tournament by edging out his dad, "Old" Tom Morris.

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Youngest athletes – Michelle Wie made her mark on women's golf in 2000 by qualifying for a USGA amateur championship. The American was 10 at the time and could already drive the ball almost 300 yards. At 13, she became the youngest golfer to make the cut at an LPGA event.

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Youngest athletes – At 16 years and 237 days old, Leicester player George Ford became the youngest professional rugby union player when he made his debut in 2009.

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Youngest athletes – American tennis player Michael Chang won the French Open in 1989 at age 17, becoming the youngest male winner of a Grand Slam singles event.

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Youngest athletes – Madison Keys, at right next to Venus Williams, became one of the youngest players to win a Women's Tennis Association tour match when she beat Serena Williams at age 14.

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Youngest athletes – Long before she was one of the most recognizable figures in women's soccer, Mia Hamm was a youth soccer player in Texas and Virginia. After catching coach Anson Dorrance's eye, she was picked for the national team and in 1987 became the youngest American woman, at 15, to take the field for a World Cup. Before retiring in 2004, Hamm racked up four NCAA championships, two World Cup titles and two Olympic gold medals.

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Youngest athletes – In 2004, at age 14, Freddy Adu became the youngest athlete to appear in a Major League Soccer game. Two weeks after his first appearance, Adu became the youngest athlete to score a goal in MLS.

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Youngest athletes – At age 13, softball player Dot Richardson became the youngest woman to play in an ASA Women's Major Fast Pitch National Championship.

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Youngest athletes – In 1944, when most able-bodied American men were fighting in World War II, a boy in a Cincinnati Reds cap took the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field. At 15 years, 10 months and 11 days, Joe Nuxhall became the youngest baseball player in modern history. Despite a horrid ninth-inning outing, Nuxhall went on to an impressive career, including a 37-year run as a Reds announcer, before dying of lymphoma in 2007.

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Youngest athletes – Big man Andrew Bynum went from high school to pro basketball, becoming the youngest player in the NBA. The Los Angeles Lakers took him with the 10th overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, and Bynum became a pro six days after his 18th birthday.

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Youngest athletes – Skateboarder Nyjah Huston made his debut at the X Games at 11 years and 246 days, making him the youngest athlete to appear at the competition.

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Youngest athletes – Born in Nigeria, Amobi Okoye was used to being the youngest of his peers. After immigrating to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1999, an aptitude test placed him in the ninth grade — at age 12. Four years later, he was in college playing defensive tackle for the Louisville Cardinals. When the Houston Texans took him as the 10th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft, the 19-year-old became the youngest player ever drafted.

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Youngest athletes – In 2008, stock car driver Joey Logano became the youngest person to win a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at 18 years and 21 days. A year later, he became the youngest to win a Sprint Cup Series race at 19 years and 35 days.

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Youngest athletes – In 1982, Northern Ireland's Norman Whiteside became the youngest player to take the field in the World Cup when he played in his country's opener against Yugoslavia. He was 17 years and 41 days old. On top of 38 appearances for his country, he also had an impressive club career with Everton and at Manchester United, where he still holds the record for youngest goal scorer.

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Story highlights

Guan Tianlang accepts invitation to take part in PGA Tour event next week

Chinese 14-year-old will line up at TPC Louisiana in New Orleans Classic

He is the youngest player to compete at the Masters, and made the halfway cut

The $6.6 million tournament will include defending champion Jason Dufner

Chinese golf prodigy Guan Tianlang will have another chance to shine at a top professional tournament after being invited to play in a PGA Tour event in New Orleans next week.

The 14-year-old stunned the sporting world at last week's Masters when he not only made the halfway cut as the youngest player to ever enter the prestigious major, but also finished as the leading amateur.

He will line up at the Zurich Classic, whose title sponsor was also involved with the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship he won last year to qualify for Augusta.

"Guan's victory in Thailand in November and his historic achievement last week at Augusta National Golf Club are truly remarkable. We are excited to have him join us," Zurich CEO Martin Senn said Thursday.

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"Guan represents the aspirations of millions of young golfers and golf fans of all ages worldwide," its CEO Steve Worthy said.

Dufner, who claimed the $1.15 million first prize last year when he beat Ernie Els in a playoff, is expected to defend his title in a field also including the South African, 2011 winner Bubba Watson, fellow major champion Keegan Bradley and world No. 3 Justin Rose.

Meanwhile, Sergio Garcia was off the pace after making a quick trans-Atlantic crossing to appear at his home Spanish Open.

The world No. 13, who tied for eighth at Augusta, was four shots behind the leaders after shooting par 72 in Thursday's opening round.

Compatriot Miguel Angel Jimenez, making his comeback after breaking a leg skiing last year, was in a tie for 112th after carding a rusty 76, to be in a group including former European Ryder Cup captain Jose Maria Olazabal.

Veteran Chilean Felipe Aguilar shared the lead with 21-year-old Frenchman Gary Stal and Denmark's Morten Orum Madsen after they all shot 68.